Seoul joins eight other nations in exclusionary industrial bloc that targets Beijing’s dominance in AI and minerals

The U.S. Department of State on Friday formally launched the “Pax Silica” initiative, a nine-nation strategic partnership aimed at securing global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals and supporting infrastructure. The inaugural summit brought together representatives from the U.S. South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Israel and Singapore, with guest contributions from Taiwan, the European Union, Canada and the OECD.

According to the State Department, Pax Silica is designed to reduce “coercive dependencies,” protect sensitive technologies foundational to AI and ensure that next-generation digital infrastructure is developed within “trusted” technology ecosystems. Participating countries affirmed a commitment to pursue joint projects across the AI supply chain, including semiconductor design, fabrication and packaging, mineral refining, logistics and energy grids and power generation.

The U.S. Department of State on Friday formally launched the “Pax Silica” initiative, a nine-nation strategic partnership aimed at securing global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals and supporting infrastructure. The inaugural summit brought together representatives from the U.S. South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Israel and Singapore, with guest contributions from Taiwan, the European Union, Canada and the OECD.

According to the State Department, Pax Silica is designed to reduce “coercive dependencies,” protect sensitive technologies foundational to AI and ensure that next-generation digital infrastructure is developed within “trusted” technology ecosystems. Participating countries affirmed a commitment to pursue joint projects across the AI supply chain, including semiconductor design, fabrication and packaging, mineral refining, logistics and energy grids and power generation.

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